Capecetabine tablets — experiences ?

Hi Parky

I should have had 8 cycles last year (May to Oct.) However, I managed 6 cycles before having issues with my hands & feet. (Palmar Planta.) & so, my Oncologist stopped the treatment then. However, she had upped the daily dosage from 1500 - 1750 twice a day, because I had had no other side effects from them for the first 5 months. I can't remember exactly, but I think the cycles were three weeks taking them, then one week off.

However, they were affective in reducing the two small Lung Mets. I had at the time.

Best wishes

Marianne 26

Thank you Marianne26 I appreciate your response. My Onc said I have to see side effects :(  it’s the potential nausea that puts me off.  He said compared to the TC I did for my BC 8 years ago he would choose the capecet every time.  Hopefully get started next week 

I hoping I can keep working thru it all. Looking at 2 weeks on and 1 week off. Want to try and time it with Xmas parties and hubbies 60th birthday. 

Hi Parky2170,

I had 5 weeks of Cape with radiotherapy and 3 months of it with Oxaliplatin. I never had any problem with nausea from the Cape. I did have a touch of the hands and feet and I was tired. I think that Cape is generally considered to be well tolerated by most people.

Hope it all goes well for you, John

Thank you John that’s reassuring …. I’m glad you chimed in. 

Hi

Hi 

I was treated with capacetabine after surgery for rectal cancer 2017. I had 6 months 2 weeks on 1 week off 2000 twice daily.

 The side effects were manageable. Moisturise your hands and feet twice daily they can become very dry and cracked .

 I did tire more easily more a weary tiredness and will own to falling asleep most afternoons. I felt the cold so had a fleece throw on my chair. 

I never had nausea or diarrhoea all though I took the anti nausea medication for a few days as advised I found I didn’t need it.

We all react differently so be guided by your medical team . You will find help and handy hints on this forum.

take care

Lattee

Great advice lattee thank you.

My VI is intramural and for some reason Sloan Kettering prognosis calculator shows my chemo benefit as 8%.  (89% vs 97% which even my onc said ‘well that’s too high’ )

Looks like I have some good low risk attributes TIL, CLR and peri tumoural  lymphocytic invasion so I’m so borderline re mopping up its not funny but I’d never forgive myself if it came back and I hadn’t done everything I’m offered. 

will definitely moisturise well. Hoping to work straight thru the chemo ….. 

I’ve just complete 4 weeks (should have been 5) of capecetabine. 4 tablets, twice a day. Not sure exact dosage. I had this alongside radio therapy. 5 days a week but weekend off both chemo and radio. 

I didn’t have problem with hands or feet but afraid I did have bad nausea. The first anti-sickness tablets caused me to be very fidgety but moving to Ondansatron really helped. From there the nausea was much more manageable. A couple of tablets a day and food / goner biscuits in between if needed. That really made a huge difference.

i did have some diarrhoea and that got worse as time went on. Not sure if the radio affected that though as well. At the end of my 4th week I’ve spent a few days so far as an inpatient as the constant going to the loo was too much and painful. I think we’re on top of it with the side affect tablets now though. Can’t lie - the last week and a bit of treatment has been tough. But the chemo has been better than I expected with side effects. 

• Geeker     Wow radio and chemo together. Well done !!  Can’t be easy. And not knowing which causes what !! 
  mom hoping nausea not an issue but suspect ondansetron waaay better than maxolon!! 
  thank you for responding :) 
  
  
  

Hi Parky,

i’ve just done 6 x Chemo treatments - every two weeks - with Cape tablets (6 a day) for 10 days inbetween. I managed the first 3 to 4 treatments quite well but was hit with constipation for the first four days after chemo. To relieve the constipation I took Laxido on advice of nurse and then had the runs for the next 3 to 4 days. It fair knocks you out and you curse the life that is being controlled by your bowels. Chemo is cumulative so by the end of the 6th treatment I was felling tired most of the day (although I could do some self-employed work in the mornings) and have now learned to take it much more easy until I finish the Cape (this Sunday yee-ha!) and then let normal bodily functions take over and bring back to some kind of normality. It takes time for all the stuff to flush out but I am happier (!) that I no longer have to do chemo again.

you WILL feel like you could give up. Don’t! It WILL end and then you can step up to the next task. As a nurse said to me: the chemo and pills are the foundation for your future recovery. You have to clear the building site of all the detritus and start building the walls. It’s the “boring” part of a new build - but very, very necessary.

best wishes, my friend. 

Tanner